Canticle of the Sun

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The Canticle of the Sun, also known as the Laudes Creaturarum ("Praise of the Creatures"), is a religious song composed by Saint Francis of Assisi. It was written in the Umbrian dialect of Italian but has since been translated into many languages. It is believed to be among the first works of literature, if not the first, written in the Italian language.

Unlike other religious songs of the time, the Canticle of the Sun is almost childlike in its praise of God by thanking Him for such creations as "Brother Fire" and "Sister Water". It is an affirmation of Francis' personal theology as he often referred to animals as brothers and sisters to Mankind, rejected material accumulation and sensual comforts in favor of "Lady Poverty".

Saint Francis is said to have composed most of the canticle in late 1224 while recovering from an illness at San Damiano, in a small cottage that had been built for him by Saint Clare and other women of her order. According to tradition, the first time it was sung in its entirety was by Francis and Brothers Angelo and Leo, two of his original companions, on Francis' deathbed, the final verse praising "Sister Death" having been added only a few minutes before.

Historically, the "Canticle of the Sun" is first mentioned in the Vita Prima of Thomas of Celano, in 1228.

In the 20th Century it was made a musical piece by Russian composer Sofia Gubaidulina and dedicated to cellist Mstislav Rostropovich for his seventieth birthday.

Sofia Gubaidulina gives the following outline of the formal sections:

Glorification of the Creator, and His Creations - the Sun and the Moon
Glorification of the Creator, the Maker of the four elements: air, water, fire and earth
Glorification of life
Glorification of death

Though she notes that the cellists 'abandonment' of his or her instrument actually divides the piece in two.

An overtone row played on the C string is used, after which the cellist tunes the string down to the lowest note possible on the instrument, plays near the bridge, on the bridge with a snare drum stick, behind the bridge, and then on the tailpiece. The cellist then puts down the instrument, playing on a bass drum, and then on a flexatone with a bass bow before returning to the cello.

The piece has been recorded and released on:

The Canticle of the Sun (1997) and Music for Flute, Strings, and Percussion (1994). The first performed by cellist and conductor Mstislav Rostropovich and London Voices conducted by Ryusuke Numajiri, the second by flutist Emmanuel Pahud and the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Rostropovich. Gubaidulina attended the recording of both pieces.

A modern rendition was used in the musical biography of Saint Francis, Brother Sun, Sister Moon.